Developmental Psychology
1
Basic Concepts in Developmental Psychology
Module 001 Basic Concepts in Developmental Psychology
At the end of the module, students are expected to:
1. Discuss the goals of developmental psychology.
2. Explain the characteristics of human development.
3. Differentiate the periods of human development.
4. Criticize the early theories of development.
Developmental Psychology
It is the branch of psychology that focuses on how people grow and change over the course of
a lifetime in terms of physical, social, emotional, and cognitive changes that occur throughout
life.
Goals of developmental psychology
To describe the development, it is necessary to focus on typical patterns of change (normative
development) and individual variations in patterns of change.
When trying to explain development, it is important to consider the relative contribution of
both Nature and Nurture. Nature refers to the process of biological maturation, inheritance,
and maturation. Nurture refers to the impact of the environment, which involves the process
of learning through experiences.
History of Developmental Psychology
Developmental psychology as a discipline did not exist until after the industrial revolution,
when the need for an educated workforce led to the social construction of childhood as a
distinct stage in a person's life.
1877 - Charles Darwin conducted the first systematic study of developmental psychology
published a short paper detailing the development of innate forms of communication-based
on scientific observations of his infant son, Doddy.
1882 - Developmental psychology emerged as a specific discipline when Wilhelm Preyer
(German physiologist) published the book, The Mind of the Child, where he described the
development of his own daughter from birth to two and a half years. Preyer used rigorous
scientific procedures throughout studying the many abilities of his daughter.
1888 - Preyer's publication was translated into English. By that time, developmental
psychology as a discipline was fully established, with a further 47 empirical studies from
Europe, North America, and Britain also published to disseminate knowledge in the field.
The 1900s - Three key figures have dominated the field with their extensive theories of
human development, namely Jean Piaget (1896-1980), Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), and John
Bowlby (1907-1990).
Course Module
Developmental Psychology
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Basic Concepts in Developmental Psychology
Characteristics of Development
Lifelong - Development Is Lifelong in the life-span perspective, early adulthood is not the
endpoint of development; rather, no age period dominates development. Researchers
increasingly study adults' experiences and psychological orientations at different points in
their lives.
Multidimensional - Whatever your age, your body, mind, emotions, and relationships are
changing and affecting each other. The development consists of biological, cognitive, and
socioemotional dimensions.
Multidirectional - Some dimensions or components of a dimension expand, and others shrink.
Plastic - Developmentalists debate how much plasticity people have in various dimensions at
different points in their development. Plasticity means the capacity for change.
Contextual - All development occurs within a context or setting. Contexts include families,
schools, peer groups, churches, cities, neighborhoods, university laboratories, countries, etc.
Each of these settings is influenced by historical, economic, social, and cultural factors.
Biological, cognitive & Socio-emotional Processes
Biological Processes - Genes inherited from parents, the development of the brain, height,
weight gains, motor skills changes, the hormonal changes of puberty, and cardiovascular
decline are all examples of biological processes that affect development.
Cognitive Processes - Refer to changes in the individual's thought, intelligence, and language.
Socio-emotional Processes - Changes in the individual's relationships with other people,
changes in emotions, and personality changes.
Periods of Development
The Prenatal Period
• From conception to birth
Course Module
Developmental Psychology
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Basic Concepts in Developmental Psychology
• From a single cell to an organism complete with a brain and behavioral capabilities
• Approximately a 9-month period
Infancy
• The developmental period from birth to 18 or 24 months
• A time of extreme dependency on adults
• Many psychological activities are just beginning
Early Childhood
• The developmental period extends from the end of infancy to about 5 or 6 years
• Often called the "preschool years."
• Children learn to become more self-sufficient
• Children now develop school readiness skills
• Children spend many hours playing with peers
Middle and Late Childhood
• The developmental period extends from about 6 to 11 years of age
• Approximately corresponds to the elementary school years
• Fundamental skills of reading, writing, and arithmetic are mastered
• A child is formally exposed to a larger world and its culture
Adolescence
• The developmental period of transition from childhood to early adulthood—entered at
10-12years, ending at 18-22 years.
• Begins with rapid physical changes.
• Pursuit of independence and identity are prominent
• Thought is now more logical, abstract, and idealistic
Early Adulthood
• The developmental period begins in the late teens or early twenties and lasts through
the thirties.
• A time of establishing personal and economic independence
Course Module
Developmental Psychology
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Basic Concepts in Developmental Psychology
• Also a time of career development
• Early adults select a mate, start a family, and rear children.
Middle Adulthood
• The developmental period begins around 40 years of age and extends to about 60
• A time of expanding personal and social involvement and responsibility
• Also a time to assist the next generation in becoming competent
• Middle adults reach and maintain satisfaction in a career
Late Adulthood
• The developmental period begins in the sixties or seventies and lasts until death
• A time of adjustment to decreasing strength and health
• Also, a time of life review, retirement, and new social roles
Conceptions of Age
Chronological Age - The number of years that have elapsed since a person's birth, A
person's age does not cause development. Time is a crude index of many events and
experiences, and it does not cause anything.
Biological Age - A person’s age in terms of biological health, The younger the person’s
biological age, the longer the person is expected to live, regardless of chronological age.
Psychological Age - An individual's adaptive capacities compared to those of other
individuals of the same chronological age. Older adults who continue to learn, are flexible,
are motivated, control their emotions, and think clearly are engaging in more adaptive
behaviors than their chronological age-mates who do not continue to learn, are rigid, are
unmotivated, do not control their emotions, and do not think clearly.
Social Age - Refers to social roles and expectations related to a person's age.
Early Theories of Development
Course Module
Developmental Psychology
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Basic Concepts in Developmental Psychology
Preformationism Medieval Period (5th – 15th Century)
Children were treated as adults, wore adults’ clothes, went to places for adults, and
worked alongside adults (Philippe Aries)
Locke’s Environmentalism (17th Century)
The father of empiricism in philosophy and learning theory in psychology.
People are largely shaped by their social environment, especially by their education.
Environment exerts its effects through association, repetition, imitation, rewards, and
punishment.
Jean-Jacques Rosseau’s Romantic Naturalism (18th Century)
Education aims to learn how to live righteously, and this should be accomplished by
following a guardian who can guide his pupil through various contrived learning
experiences. He minimized the importance of book learning and emphasized learning by
experience, and he recommended that a child's emotions be educated before his reason.
Mastin, Luke (2008). The Basics of Philosophy. Retrieved from
http://www.philosophybasics.com/philosophers_rousseau.html on November 30, 2016.
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